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Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) profits in 2018 haven’t been anything to write home about, which has led the subsidiary of Tata Motors to plan a major restructuring. Among the many decision JLR will be making, it will have to decide on how to replace the XE and XF sedans that have been selling in very small numbers, eclipsed even outsold by Jaguar’s all-electric I-Pace SUV.
Although both the XE and XF sedans are slated to receive facelifts in the coming months in international markets, JLR is planning on bringing in all-new replacements for the sedans by 2023. Sources indicated that JLR will be starting from scratch on this new project, by possibly merging the XE and XF sedans into a single model; the new vehicle could be either an electric model or a plug-in hybrid.
JLR will be going the hybrid or electric route with a number of models including the upcoming all-new XJ electric sedan. In a presentation made last year by JLR’s executive director of corporate and strategy, Hanno Kirner, plans to launch a number of mid-height vehicles in the future (possibly the rumoured Road Rover series) were in the works, along with more vehicles with a small frontal area, as aerodynamic efficiency for range becomes more important. At the same presentation, he also hinted at a platform for the future I-Pace that will be shared with a sporty model, claiming an eventual replacement for the F-Type, which may be badged as the I-Type.
Despite JLR making these decisions now, we won’t see the revamped line-up for a few years. This is not to say that there aren’t updates coming this year in the international market; facelifts for Jaguar’s XE and XF sedans, the new Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, a significantly re-engineered Discovery Sport, and lastly, the all-new Defender are all expected during 2019.


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A week later, on July 29, Huawei will present the flagship P50 smartphones. Some of the characteristics of the series models have already been reported, and now there are details about the charging technology.
According to the source, the base model of the line, Huawei P50, will support 66W charging, while the top-end Huawei P50 Pro and P50 Pro + will be able to boast 100W charging support. Due to this, they will be charged in their entirety very quickly: in about 20 minutes. Interestingly, the Huawei P50 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G single-chip platform, while the P50 Pro and P50 Pro +, according to the source, will use its own Kirin 9000 with 5G support.
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Randall Stephenson also calls 5G "critical" to the future of media consumption.
Washington may not "agree on the freezing point of water," as AT&T's CEO put it, but it should pass legislation to protect consumer privacy and net neutrality .
Randall Stephenson, speaking Monday at the Wall Street Journal D.Live conference in Laguna Beach, California, called for Congress to figure out a way to protect consumers.
"I'd love to see legislation, not regulation," he said. Stephenson noted that companies shouldn't be able to block content or throttle users. Consumers should be able to connect any devices to a network that they want, and they should know how their data is being used, if it's sold and if they have control over it, he said.
The Obama era rules for the open internet proved short-lived, lasting briefly from 2015 to 2018. But the battle rages in the courts as supporters challenge the repeal of the rules and the Federal Communications Commission challenges states that are passing their own net neutrality rules.
Many people agree with the basic principle of net neutrality -- the idea that all traffic on the internet should be treated equally -- but plans for realizing that uncontroversial concept have been a lightning rod for conflict. Behind the clash: The former, Democrat-led FCC reclassified broadband networks so that they were subject to the same strict regulations that govern telephone networks. Supporters claim that was necessary for establishing the legal basis of the rules. But it provoked a backlash from Republicans, who said the move was clumsy and blunt.
On June 11, the Obama era rules went away.
AT&T, meanwhile, is in the midst of a transformation from a pure telecom company into a media powerhouse, thanks to its acquisition of DirecTV and Time Warner. The company has laid out its vision of not only creating content, but delivering that programming to consumers no matter where they are.
To that end, AT&T's other big bet is on 5G . The company is poised to be the first to launch a mobile 5G network, with a target of turning on the service in a dozen markets this year. Like the other carriers, AT&T is hyping up 5G as the next big revolution in technology, one able to support other tech trends like the Internet of Things and self-driving cars .
The company last month showed off a Netgear wireless hotspot, which will be the first 5G device in the market. There's a race to get to 5G first as a form of bragging rights and a declaration of network superiority, which the companies hope will translate into customer growth down the line.
AT&T could use the boost. Its core wireless business faces tons of pressure from upstart T-Mobile . The company has routinely trailed the pack in subscriber growth, and while rival Verizon has better held up against T-Mobile's competitive pressure, AT&T remains vulnerable.
The company has tried to shore up those losses by bundling in streaming services. The company already has launched DirecTV Now , a stripped down set of channels called AT&T Watch, and already has channel-specific services like HBO Now. Stephenson has hinted at another service anchored by HBO to launch next year.
On Monday, Stephenson reiterated that he wants to invest more in HBO, to help its grow its programming slate. He also criticized President Donald Trump's decision to remove the press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta last week after a contentious press conference
"We've got an interesting situation going on here," Stephenson said. "If the White House wants to pull somebody's press credentials, there is a process ... There's been no process followed to remove his credentials."
Stephenson also called 5G "critical" for the future of media and content consumption. Instead of wearing a bulky headset for VR, you could have a piece of glass covering your face that's more like regulator glasses, he said.
"All of a sudden you have instantaneous networks," he said. "You have networks that are instantly powerful ... It changes everything. It turns the world immediate."
CNET's Roger Cheng and Maggie Reardon contributed to this report.
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M&A activity for North American based target companies in the Logistics & Transport sector for Q3 2016 included 55 closed deals, according to data published by industry data tracker FactSet. The average transaction value was $197 million.
One of the largest deals of the quarter in the Transport & Logistics sector took place in September when XPO Logistics announced it would acquire Con-way Inc., one of the country’s largest trucking companies, for $3 billion. XPO will launch a tender offer for all of Con-way’s outstanding shares at a cash price of $47.60 per share. All of the divisions under Con-way, which include Con-way Freight, Menlo Logistics, Con-way Truckload and Con-way Multimodal, are expected to be rebranded as XPO Logistics.
Developers of self-driving vehicles are moving closer to delivering technology that could improve safety, increase productivity, and reduce operating costs for trucking companies. Citing potential safety benefits, the US Department of Transportation issued federal policy for testing and deployment of automated vehicles in September 2016. The framework clarifies federal and state roles for the regulation of such vehicles, laying necessary groundwork for companies that plan to deploy self-driving cars and trucks. One such company, Otto, plans to start hauling freight with semi-autonomous vehicles sometime in 2017, according to Reuters. Commercial use of fully automated trucks is likely still many years away, and manufacturers will have to overcome significant challenges, including vehicle technology, inadequate infrastructure, and high development costs. However, Otto’s viability got a boost in August 2016: the company was acquired by Uber for $680 million.
- The average US retail price for diesel and regular gas, a major operating cost for trucking fleets, fell 2% and 0.9%, respectively, in the week ending October 17, 2016, compared to the same week in 2015.
- Total US manufacturers’ shipments, an indicator of the volume of goods shipped by truck, fell 2.7% year-to-date in August 2016 compared to the same period in 2015.
- Total US revenue for general freight trucking fell 1.4% in the second quarter of 2016 compared to the previous year.
Posted by Doug Nix.


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Although pod coffee and K-cups have been rising in popularity for years, other single-serve coffee options are being introduced that have the opportunity to attain a much larger share of the coffee market.
Iced coffee beverages broaden the coffee playing field, satisfying refreshment-based consumer needs by carrying the beverage well beyond its morning daypart stronghold.
Whereas not long ago product development in the coffee creamers realm centered on new flavor varieties, leading marketers are now aggressively responding to consumers’ desire for clean label products. Part of the goal is to attract new customers by alleviating concerns about ingredients.
It’s largely true, America really does run on Dunkin’, among other foodservice coffee companies. So celebrate National Coffee Day 2016 with not just a cup of your favorite brew, but a special discount from Packaged Facts. You’re welcome America.
Packaged Facts research director David Sprinkle will present a webinar entitled “The Shifting Landscape for Office Coffee Service” in conjunction with the National Coffee Association (NCA) on June 23, 2015 from 1:00-2:00 pm EST.
The webinar, which draws on Packaged Facts’ report Office Coffee Service in the U.S.: Market Trends and Opportunities (March 2015), lays out the opportunities, challenges and trends shaping the office coffee service market.
To register for the webinar or for more inf...


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Apple and Goldman Sachs to part ways on Apple Card, no successor named
Goldman Sachs is expected to stop issuing the Apple Card in early 2025, as the companies seek other financial institutions to back the card and savings account.
Apple's consumer-focused credit card, called the Apple Card, has been seen as a success for Apple, but not for Goldman Sachs. After months of reports about a disgruntled Goldman Sachs, it seems the companies are ready to part ways.
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple sent a proposal to Goldman Sachs to exit their contract in 12 to 15 months. The exit would cover their entire partnership, including Apple Card and Apple Savings.
There isn't any information about a possible new partner beyond speculation. Goldman Sachs has allegedly held discussions with American Express to take over Apple Card, and Synchrony Financial has also apparently cited interest in taking over.
The report says the partnership has had issues from the start. Apple ran ads saying that Apple Card wasn't from a bank, the company insisted on customers getting their bill at the start of each month, and regulatory scrutiny occurred as a result of the partnership.
It's still early days as the proposal hasn't even been approved. Apple Card and Apple Savings customers should carry on as usual until Apple makes an official announcement.
There isn't any word on how this might affect Apple Card holders, rates, fees, or other operations surrounding the credit card. Apple will likely fight to retain the same level of control it exerted with Goldman Sachs, which seems to have led to this situation in the first place.
Read on AppleInsider


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Pressured Maruti hikes prices of diesel models by Rs10,000
15 November 2011
Maruti Suzuki has hiked the prices of its diesel models by up to Rs10,000 with immediate effect. The price of the Ritz hatchback has been raised by Rs2,000, while the diesel variants of Swift, Dzire and SX4 cars became costlier by Rs10,000.
"There has been a critical upswing in the inputs cost and an adverse appreciation in the Japanese currency yen that had made imports costlier and forced this hike," a company spokesperson said on Monday.
Maruti Suzuki, owned 54.6 per cent by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp, continues to be billed as India's largest carmaker by sales, despite a massive loss of production and consequent slide in market share this year due to labour troubles at its Manesar plant in Haryana since June that kept the plant shut for 59 days. Production declined 55 per cent below normal in October to 50,487 units; and the waiting time for some of Maruti's diesel models like the popular Swift stretches up to nine months.
The company's profit margin during the quarter contracted 4.2 percentage points from a year ago to 6.3 per cent because of foreign exchange fluctuations that had an impact on its imports and royalty payments. The yen strengthened 20 per cent against the Indian currency in the three months to 30 September, Shinzo Nakanishi, managing director of Maruti Suzuki, said earlier this month.
The demand for diesel cars has been rising sharply and steadily over recent years and particularly over the last year or so as buyers seek to take advantage of the massive price difference between the retail prices of petrol and diesel.
While petrol prices were freed up in July last year, leading to unrelenting hikes, diesel continues to be heavily subsidised, so that the price difference today is as much as Rs30 a litre or about 68 per cent.


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SEOUL – Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has launched its annual two-month tourism promotion event to promote halal restaurants across the country from Sept 1 to Oct 31.
It has embarked on its annual Halal Restaurant Week Korea event that will spotlight KTO-designated Muslim-friendly restaurants and major tourist sites.
The annual number of Muslim visitors to South Korea is expected to exceed the one million mark for the first time in 2019, according to a KTO official.
“We are making an effort to develop quality tour programs for Muslim tourists to meet varied demands from them.”
The fourth edition features a bigger list of participating Muslim-friendly restaurants, which has grown from 95 in 2016 to 152 this year. It will also include 40 major tourist sites and activities. The list of participating organisations and discounts available can be found here.
Visitors can access a coupon booklet through KTO offices in major Muslim-tourist destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, New Delhi, Dubai, Istanbul, and Almaty.
The booklet includes discounts for Muslim-friendly restaurants ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 won (US$2.50 to US$8), as well as key attractions and activities. There will also be special set menus at 54 Muslim-friendly restaurants.
KTO has implemented a Muslim-friendly restaurant guide that categorises restaurants into four categories – Halal-certified, Self-certified, Muslim-friendly, and Pork-free – based on detailed criteria such as their usage of Halal ingredients and pork.
By the end of 2018, it certified 250 restaurants as Muslim-friendly, nearly double the number in 2016, when the number stood at 135.
South Korea has in recent years stepped up efforts to promote the destination as Muslim-friendly, including a slew of efforts to provide Muslim tourists with information on halal offerings and prayer facilities in key tourist regions.
The country was ranked 8th among non-Islamic destinations in the 2019 Global Muslim Travel Index report.


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Confinement and new consumption habits derived from the pandemic have increased Mercamadrid’s marketing by 3.6% in 2020 compared to the previous year. The data advanced by the municipal director of the joint venture, David Chica, confirm that the fruit and vegetable sector has been the one that has grown the most in recent months.
Specifically, the volume of commercialization of the fruit and vegetable sector reached 2.2 million tons, which represents an increase of 7.4% compared to the previous year. The general director framed these data by the weight that the period of confinement has had on them by shifting extra-domestic consumption to homes, something that largely continues to occur. “The pandemic has benefited the fruit and vegetable sector,” said Chica in the municipal commission for the Economy and Finance. Chica also stressed that Mercamadrid’s activity “has not been affected” by the pandemic. At present, the occupation of the six fruit warehouses in Marcamadrid is 100% by operators.
The volume of commercialization of the fruit and vegetable sector reached 2.2 million tons, which represents an increase of 7.4% compared to the previous year
The volume of commercialization of Mercamadrid reached the committee by the hand of the councilor of Vox Aránzazu Cabello, who regretted that in the Plenary of Cibeles in January the proposal that he presented to benefit from the provision of the General State Budgets (PGE ) that enabled Mercasa, as a partner of the City Council in Mercamadrid, to reduce the fee to 50 percent among operators of municipal markets that registered a decrease in income.
The votes of Cs, PP, More Madrid and PSOE in the Cibeles Plenary They ruled out Vox’s proposal to halve the fee to Mercamadrid operators that have suffered a reduction in their billing income in 2020 because it could “put Mercamadrid at risk”.
The delegate councilor for Innovation and Employment, Ángel Niño (Cs), justified that they could not accept Vox’s motion because, if they did, “it would mean that Mercamadrid could enter into losses in 2021, putting its viability and operation at risk.”
Cabello put on record in the commission of his disbelief at the rejection of this proposal even by the PSOE, promoters of this additional provision, and regretted the data provided by Chica that he did not break them down to publicize those of the “tiny operators”, who are the ones who are suffering losses, as they have been transferred.
«Of the 2.3 million tons sold in 2020, only 300,000 correspond to Frutas Sánchez. It does not give data on small operators because you already defend the big ones very well, you can see what your preferences are, ”he accused the general director of Mercamadrid.
Aránzazu Cabello estimated the percentage of less marketed kilos at 16% among small operators, who provided him with the data. David Chica replied that he could not offer detailed sales details because companies are not obliged to give them to Mercamadrid, which measures its activity with the declaration of access of the merchandise delivered by each carrier, which may be destined for one or more companies or that they can benefit from face-to-face, aisle, long-term, digital sales … etc.
Mercamadrid earned 6.1 million
Mercamadrid closed 2020 with a net profit of 6.1 million euros, which is 25% less than the previous year, when it closed with a profit of 8.2 million euros. The results are framed in a context marked by the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in an extraordinary expenditure of 1.5 million euros in disinfection and cleaning.
The food unit managed to maintain the figures of commercialization, with 3.1 million tons of fresh food sold (3.6% more than in 2019). The balance of last year shows some differences by subsector, due to the incidence of the pandemic, and Mercamadrid’s fruit and vegetable sector is the one that obtained the best result (+ 7.4%). In addition, he pointed out that changes were observed in the consumption and distribution channels with an increase in domestic consumption.
Companies in the fresh fish and seafood sector, as well as the meat sector experienced a decrease in the consumption of some products, more oriented towards their consumption in the hospitality industry, one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic and a regular customer of Mercamadrid companies.
In contrast, the growth in household consumption of fruit and vegetables in 2020 is over 10%, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. This trend, they say, has been reflected in the marketing of the fruit and vegetable sector of Mercamadrid.


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Never Stopping. Never Looking Back
For the first time ever, CHI Limited launches its fruit juices in the 330ml can packaging. Chi Exotic and Chivita Ice Tea become the first CHI Limited brands to be locally produced in Cans and launched to trade in 2020. In 2021, the Can range is extended to Chivita Active Zest, a new variant of the Chivita Active portfolio.
The Hollandia Yoghurt range is further extended with the launch of Hollandia Zero Yoghurt, a zero lactose, zero added sugar and zero artificial sweeteners drinking yoghurt proposition.


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Instagram yields to user outrage over policy change
SAN FRANCISCO - Agence France-Presse
In this Monday, April 9, 2012, file photo, Instagram is demonstrated on an iPhone, in New York. Instagram, the popular photo-sharing service that Facebook bought this year, is the target of a storm of outrage on Twitter and other sites after the company announced Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 a change in its user agreement that hinted that it might use shared photos in ads. (AP Photo/Karly Domb Sadof, File)Instagram backed down Tuesday from a planned policy change that appeared to clear the way for the mobile photo sharing service to sell pictures without compensation, after users cried foul.
"The language we proposed also raised questions about whether your photos can be part of an advertisement," Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom said in a blog post.
Twitter and Instagram forums were abuzz over the phrasing, as users debated whether to delete their accounts before the new rules kicked in.
"Bye-bye Instagram," tweeted Scott Ninness. "Who in their right mind will use a service that allows your images (to) be sold with no financial remuneration to you?" "Everybody should continue using Instagram but just take blurry photos of sandwiches," suggested a Twitter user with the screen name Michele Catalano.
Systrom did not specify how the terms of service wording would be changed.
Originally proposed portions of the new policy that rankled users included "You hereby grant to Instagram a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable, worldwide license to use the content that you post on or through the service." The terms also stated that "a business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos, and/or actions you take, in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you." Instagram contended that it was not claiming ownership of people's pictures.
"Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we'd like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram," Systrom said.
"Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing." Some people tweeted in defense of Instagram, arguing that it was a "mega-business" that needs to make money.
"I quit Instagram on principle," Twitter user Liz Heron said on the popular message service. "I'm tired of contributing to the commodification (sic) of my own existence." Instagram said that the changes were part of a move to better share information with Facebook, which bought the company this year.
Internet rights activists at the Electronic Frontier Foundation had called on Instagram to reconsider the new policy, saying it violated "key principles" for social networking services.
Instagram, which has some 100 million users, is seeking to route photo viewers to its own website, where it has the potential to make money from ads or other mechanisms.
This month, the service made it impossible for Internet users to view its images in messages at Twitter.
Previously, Instagram pictures shared in messages tweeted from smartphones could be viewed unaltered at Twitter.
Twitter responded by adding Instagram-style photo sharing features of its own.
Yahoo! joined the fray last week by making it more enticing for iPhone users to use its Flickr photo service.
Instagram rose to stardom with the help of Twitter, but has distanced itself from the messaging service since Facebook completed its acquisition of Instagram in September.
The original price was pegged at $1 billion but the final value was less because of a decline in the social network's share price.


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California-based edutainment company Encantos Media Studios has tapped co-founder Steven Wolfe Pereira as its new CEO. He is taking over the role from Nuria Santamaria Wolfe, another Encantos co-founder, who has been serving as CEO since 2015. Santamaria Wolfe will transition to being chief marketing officer.
Wolfe Pereira steps in immediately, and will continue to serve as chairman of its board of directors. Prior to starting Encantos, he served on the boards of several educational companies including educational assistance hubb Chegg, and SMASH, a program that prepares students of color for STEM college studies. He was also the VP of brand strategy and marketing solutions at tech company Oracle until 2016, and VP of partnership marketing and business intelligence at Univision.
Encantos, focused on kids under 14, develops multicultural entertainment and educational brands and launched its first IP, Canticos, in 2016. The Latin preschool property brings Spanish-language nursery rhymes to life through children’s books, interactive apps and sing-along videos. Nickelodeon partnered with Encantos, the following year, to develop a line of baby- and toddler-focused consumer products spanning toys, accessories, publishing and home. The two companies expanded the partnership last year, when Nick announced Canticos nursery rhymes would be available on Nick’s digital preschool platforms, including NickJr.com, the Nick Jr. app and Noggin.
The company also announced plans to relocate its headquarters from San Francisco to Culver City, California on April 1 because the city is a hub of creativity and technology, as well as home to companies like Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Studios.


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Anyone hoping for a 5G iPhone in 2019 is going to be sorely disappointed, a new report claims. That’s because Apple is supposedly holding off plans to launch a handset on the ultra-fast 5G network until 2020 at the earliest.
That likely means that rivals like Samsung will be able to win more customers, short term, by rushing to beat Apple to the punch. However, for anyone who has followed Apple for a while, this move is no surprise.
Let others make the mistakes
With both the 3G and 4G generations of mobile technology, Apple waited a while before hopping on the bandwagon with the iPhone. 3G phones were already in existence when Apple launched its first iPhone in 2007. However, it made customers wait until the second iPhone in 2008 before it introduced the iPhone 3G.
Doing this may look like Apple dragging its feet, but it serves an important purpose. Just as Apple wasn’t the first company to make an MP3 player, a smartphone, a tablet or a smartwatch, allowing others to make the first moves lets Apple avoid the stumbling early days of new technologies.
In the case of technologies like 3G and 4G, that means avoiding the early inconsistent coverage. By the time it’s ready to enter the market, Apple has therefore been able to observe what works and doesn’t work, and can then decide how to solve the problem.
In the case of 5G, the reason may also have something to do with Apple’s battle with Qualcomm. Qualcomm is a leader in 5G technology. If Apple instead relies on chips made by Intel, it could be waiting a while for the chips to become available.
Can Apple afford to wait?
Waiting could prove problematic for Apple, however. Being able to offer 5G early is going to be a clear selling point. With the smartphone market slowing down — and Apple’s recent slump in share price — waiting an extra year could cost it.
Whether having technology that “just works” is enough to get around that particular problem remains to be seen. If Apple does wait, however, expect plenty of “Apple is no longer innovating” articles next September, when rival companies such as Samsung debut the first 5G phones.


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An essential part of this whole social-distancing thing is that you stay the hell away from other people. I mean, it’s right there in the name. So, it would make sense then that people are starting to look differently at things like ride-hailing services and public transit, which is precisely what they’re doing according to a recent study of 3,021 people by Cars.com.
To begin with, 40% of the survey’s respondents said that they’re using ride-hailing services less often, while 93% of people said that they are using personal vehicles more. This makes sense: Getting into a stranger’s car with no guarantees about its cleanliness is a risk, and given how long it can take for someone to show symptoms (if they show at all) and how long the COVID-19 virus can live on surfaces, that reticence becomes pretty understandable.
Something we also found very interesting is that nearly 20% of those surveyed who didn’t already own personal vehicles claimed that they were considering buying one. On its own, that’s surprising, but add in the economic uncertainty that has accompanied the coronavirus outbreak, and it takes on a whole different light.
Of that 20% considering a car purchase, 40% are doing so because they no longer wish to take public transit and 28% don’t trust the cleanliness of other people’s cars. As a low-grade germophobe myself, I totally empathize with these people.
Of course, buying a car during lockdowns is a challenge in and of itself, which is why more and more people are considering doing much of their car buying online. Of the people who want to buy a car (33% of whom are moving their timetable up due to coronavirus), some 45% are willing to do price negotiation online, while a further 38% are cool with doing online financing.
In addition to the 3,000-plus customers surveyed, Cars.com spoke to 238 dealers and found that just 58% of them currently offer vehicle delivery, but 29% are moving to provide the service in light of many areas’ shelter-in-place orders.
So, having read all this, where do you stand? Are you reevaluating your ride-hailing habits, bailing on the bus and cruising for a new car? Has the pandemic caused you to move up your plans to buy a car? Or has it pushed them back indefinitely? Let us know in the comments.


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State drafts new regulation to rev up ailing sugar industry
Agriculture PS says the sector has been operating on the whims of other players, but the improved rule will mandate the government to expedite certain decisions
The government is drafting a sugar regulation to bring sanity to the industry in the wake of poor local production, which has given cartels room to manipulate the market.
Agriculture Principal secretary Richard Lesiyampe said there was a sugar regulation in 2001 but to date, it has never been gazetted.
This has left the industry in the hands of tycoons who control the market, making Kenya to rely heavily on imports from Uganda, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and Southern African Development Community to bridge the deficit.
“The sugar industry has been operating on the whims of other players and we want to change this. This regulation will give the government the mandate to expedite certain decisions and demand adherence by players in the industry,” the PS said.
Lesiyampe added that the regulation will help to address the problem of delayed payments to sugar farmers as the government moves to revive the country’s struggling factories.
“It will give directives on how long a farmer should wait to be paid from the time of cane harvest. Currently, there is no law that is gazetted to protect farmers on this, so even if you go to court, one cannot win as it is not within the law. It will also address sugarcane poaching and where sugarcane has been burned,” he said. Lesiyampe urged the Agriculture Parliamentary Committee to enact rules and regulations that are progressive and protect farmers.
The local production is 635,000 metric tonnes, against an annual demand of 889,000 metric tonnes.
“We have a deficit of 250,000 metric tonnes including 150,000 metric tonnes of refined sugar. Kenya does not produce enough sugar to meet the local demand. We import from Comesa and East Africa especially from Uganda to fill the gap,” said Solomon Odera, the head of sugar directorate.
The country has in the last one week anticipated a sugar shortage after a section of retailers warned of scarcity. “We can’t get sugar. Only one guy – Mara (Transmara Sugar Company) has sugar,” Naivas chief commercial officer Willy Kimani told the Star.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority director general Alfred Busolo, however, assured the country there is enough sugar, having imported 6,000 tonnes last Friday.
“As of September 19 (Monday) we had received the 6,000 tonnes so there is no cause for alarm,” Busolo said.
This is part of the 15,000 tonnes the directorate planned to import this month, which is a 67 per cent rise from 9,000 tonnes imported in August. “The rest will come in by end month,” he said.
Employees at a sugar factory in Western Kenya


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Fresh rumours about the release date of Apple's next generation iPhone (the iPhone 6) have surfaced online, hinting at different screen sizes, a new IGZO display technology and 2GB RAM among various other hardware specifications.
However, some projections in the report do seem off-mark since the new Flat Panel Display (FPD) technology has never been used by Apple.
According to the report, the iPhone 6 will ship with two screen sizes, 4.7 or 4.8in and a 5.5in. Both the display variants are expected to support 1920 x 1080 (440ppi) and 2272 x 1280 (510ppi) screen resolution respectively and run on indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) technology instead of the low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) technology found in current iPhones.
Though the claimed display sizes for the iPhone 6 seem to be consistent with earlier rumours, it is a contradiction that LTPS displays would be replaced with IGZO as LTPS offers greater battery-life and screen brightness.
On the flip side, IGZO is the preferred technology in the tablet market, given the limitations with creating LTPS displays of those sizes and their support for higher display resolution on larger screens.
In related news, the iPhone 6 is expected to get a considerable bump in RAM to 2GB along with an upgraded 3.2MP front facing camera. The rear camera is expected to retain an 8MP sensor found in current generation iPhones.
In addition, a new A8 chip and 128GB storage expansion slot are on the cards.
In a related report, a Chinese website citing Taiwan's industry chain claims that the rear camera will feature a 10MP sensor with an improved f/1.8 aperture. As the iPhone 5s currently features an 8MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture, it implies that the upcoming iPhone will port a completely new hardware and not just a sensor upgrade.
The second report further claims that the hybrid IR filters in iPhone 5s will be replaced with a resin lens filter made by a Japanese company JSR, as the latter has better colour correction and image clarity for CMOS sensors than the former.
Another questionable claim points to the rumoured mobile operating system, iOS 7.2, which is said to debut with the release of iPhone 6. This is a contradiction to Apple's tradition, as every new iPhone launch is accompanied by a major iOS release rather than a minor update.
iPhone 6 is likely to launch with iOS 8 onboard as this theory is supported by recently leaked web logs and various other sources showing evidence of an iWatch project connected to the iOS 8 debut release. Another point of interest is that there is hardly any proof of Apple's development work on iOS 7.2.
Furthermore, the speculated June launch window does not match with Apple's tradition of releasing its hardware products at the end of the third quarter or early into fourth quarter. Besides, the June release date for iPhone 6 is too early for an annual release cycle with Apple.
So, it is likely that Apple will continue to adopt a fall launch that has been the norm for three iPhone generations since iPhone 4s.


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New Delhi/ Chennai/ Mumbai, Oct 21 :
It is Dhanteras time again and Indians are ready to splurge on gold. The jewellers expect sales to be 15-20 percent higher Tuesday compared to last year due to better price of the yellow metal.
“We expect sales to be 20 percent higher this year compared to last year as gold price is ruling at a better level than last year,” Rahul Gupta, chief executive officer, PP Jewellers told IANS.
Last year, there was supply crunch of gold in the market after government hiked its import duty to 15 percent to curb more import as that was causing imbalance in the current account deficit in the country.
“This year the price went below Rs.27,000 per 10 grams mark a fortnight back, but now there is price increment of Rs.1,000-Rs.1,200 per 10 grams,” he added.
Gold price was hovering around Rs.27,600 per 10 grams in the national capital Tuesday.
“We expect sales to be good this Dhanteras as the price is good. During the last six-eight months silver sales were dim. So we expect sales to go up today (Tuesday),” Jayantilal Challani, president of Madras Jewellers and Diamond Merchants Association and a partner in Challani Jewellery Mart, told IANS.
“Normally silver sales will go up by more than 100 percent during Dhanteras as compared to normal day sales. People buy silver articles/bars/coins today (Tuesday). Generally north Indians buy silver on Dhanteras. During Akshaya Tritiya people buy gold and on Dhanteras silver is bought. Today silver price is Rs.41.40 per gram,” Challani added.
Despite a steep fall in prices of gold as compared to last year, from around Rs.32,000 per 10 gms to around Rs.28,000 per 10 gms, this Dhanteras, market sentiment has been hit by overall inflation and higher interest rates, arresting sales, market leaders said in Mumbai.
“Owing to these factors, we expect at least a 35 percent drop in gold sales compared to 2013… although the current retail price in Mumbai is Rs.27,750,” Mumbai Jewellers Federation President Rakesh Shetty told IANS.
However, other retails in Mumbai hope the buying may pick up as the main ‘muhurat’ is scheduled only after 7 p.m. Tuesday evening.
P.R. Somasundaram, managing director, World Gold Council (India), said that gold demand on Dhanteras Tuesday mirrors the general optimism in the economy, reinforcing the traditional faith in gold for the average household save and its increased economic relevance due to various uncertainties on the horizon.
“Policy restrictions have had little impact on gold demand, though sources of supply have increasingly shifted to unauthorized channels… It is time for a long-term approach to gold in India, unlock the potentially transformative value of the household gold to fund the nation’s growth,” Somasundaram said.


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Photos by Label Networks from Summer X Games 2010.
As the question continues to rage around “what is action sports these days?” ESPN X Games just announced that they will be expanding their franchise to include 3 new host cities through a bid process to bring the X Games, often noted as the alternative Olympics, to different countries around the world. The evolution of action sports, and the X Games in general, has changed dramatically in the past 10 years, as certain sports have come and gone in terms of youth culture popularity (see our Spring Youth Culture Study Sports section for top sports preferred by 13-25-year-olds and size of market), but especially made-for-TV challenges, as well as brands surviving and changes in trade shows.
Interestingly, as the IOC struggles to make the Olympics more relevant, launching various social media campaigns and the Youth Olympic Games, the X Games continue to make headway in their direction, challenging what the ancient institution of sports and lifestyle sports means to fans. In terms of so-called action sports, currently in the mix for the Olympics is skiing slopestyle, while the debate continues regarding skateboarding and even surfing on a possible far horizon in the future.
Meanwhile, the X Games has changed up formats over the years, dropping, for example, aggressive inline (which still takes place as an event in other countries such as the KIA China X Games in Shanghai), and adding this summer to the LA X Games, Enduro, and Rally Car racing. Staples for the Summer Games continue to be skateboarding, motocross, and BMX; and for Winter Games, snowboarding, skiing, and snowmobiling.
Here’s what’s up from ESPN X Games:
ESPN, the leading action sports content provider and creator of the X Games, today announced a significant milestone in its long-term plans to expand the X Games on a global basis. Beginning in 2013, ESPN will produce six world-class X Games events around the world %u2013 two in the U.S. and four outside the U.S. ESPN is putting significant resources and focus behind this push for international expansion and will bring the most prestigious action sports competition to cities and fans around the world.
ESPN will conduct a formal bid process to determine the three new X Games host cities, which will join the current events in Los Angeles, Aspen and Tignes, France (where ESPN is partnered with Canal ). Cities will be selected in 2012 for a three-year agreement and will work with ESPN to produce the events.
A total of 130 hours of live TV coverage across the six X Games events on ESPN networks in the U.S. and around the world will be supplemented by coverage on digital platforms, including a year-round action sports website. The top priority of the X Games will continue to be to spotlight the world’s best action sports athletes in BMX, Skateboard, Moto X, and Rally Car Racing at the X Games; and Skiing, Snowboard and Snowmobile at the Winter X Games. Each X Games event will take on its own distinguishing character that will set it apart from the others, including the introduction of new sports and cultural elements based on the locations themselves. In addition, the X Games will continue to showcase and celebrate action sports competition while also highlighting the artistic and social elements inherent in the action sports lifestyle.
“We are incredibly excited to take the X Games to the next level,” said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice president, programming and Global X Games. “While we have produced events under the X Games banner outside the U.S. for many years, these four new X Games events will be of the same size and stature as the Los Angeles and Aspen events.”
Pro skateboarder and legend Tony Hawk, an integral part of the X Games as an iconic athlete and TV analyst, said, “It has been incredible to see the X Games grow from its relatively underground inception in 1995, to a thriving global competition circuit today. Our sports have benefited greatly from the positive exposure over the years, and I am proud to have watched it all evolve since the beginning.”


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As online behavior evolves from social media to private media, marketers will need fresh approaches to reach their target audiences. Brands have slowly embraced the paradigm shift from traditional communication of one message to many to two way messaging. The “age of the consumer” has forced this evolution and is now driving the growth of two way content. In new research from the Content Marketing Institute, interactive content is quickly gaining importance among the 20,000 content marketers surveyed, where 81% stated it is more effective at “grabbing attention.”
We’ve already seen Taco Bell have tremendous success with Snapchat filters, and luxury brands are using WeChat to reach consumers in personalized ways that have scale. What’s next? Virtual Reality is becoming more accessible with Facebook’s investment in Oculus and the introduction of Google Cardboard. This interactive content allows for customizable experiences that do not rely on the user to share it with thousands of followers to be successful. Interestingly, marketers cited education as the primary purpose of interactive content by a large margin, and the potential impact of VR on education has been widely discussed. It is an exciting opportunity to capture and hold the attention of targeted audiences who have notoriously shrinking attention spans.
One reason for this shift to private or limited sharing engagement is a change in attitude. As Facebook grew, young people in particular began to develop a fear of being left out by not being constantly engaged and reading the latest posts. Others are so consumed with sharing their experiences online that they miss the moment. When the Pope visited New York City, it seemed more people were interested in taking a selfie with him in the background than having any kind of connection at the moment. Now the pendulum is beginning to swing back toward a balance between our social and private lives.
Another reason for this shift to more private communication is the prevalence of trolling and online bullying. Internet trolls are nothing new and not a new issue for Twitter, but Periscope made news last week announcing its new plan to battle internet trolls. They are moving beyond user reported abuse to include the users in the judgement and discipline. Ryan Bell who tipped me to this news asked “is it too late.” My response: It’s never too late to combat bullies, but hopefully the “flash jury” can distinguish between offensive and disagreeable. Periscope’s move is geared toward protecting the individual, and another step in the pushback and awareness efforts such as the #morethanmean PSA video that brought harassment of female sports journalists into the spotlight.
Marketers are all too aware with a number of brand #fails when interactive social campaigns were taken over by the community. The worst example of this may have been the #CosbyMeme when they encouraged people to use their meme generator. Big food and beverage brands like Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have also run into trolling.
With the election season just starting to turn up the heat, I imagine there will be more people that want to get away from seeing everyone’s opinions and start engaging more with their closest friends. Marketers will need better and engaging content to reach their audiences who are looking for a more personalized and intimate social experience. Despite all the vitriol online, don’t despair. There are still a few places on the internet that are pure.


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Polar rapid charging network expands 50% in a year
Chargemaster has refuted claims that the UK charging infrastructure is not keeping pace with increasing uptake of electric vehicles.
The firm’s Polar public rapid charging network has grown by 50% in one year – from 250 units in June 2017 to over 375 today – at a time when the number of electric cars on UK roads has risen by 50% to more than 150,000 units.
Meanwhile the total number of Polar charging points has increased from just over 5,500 this time last year to more than 6,500 now. The vast majority of those are fast charging points (typically 7kW) in destination locations.
The company also said that a lot of demand for chargers is being tackled by the increasing deployment of workplace charging points, to match the continuing rollout of home charging points.
Chargemaster continued: “We have gone from a few years ago, a company director phoning us to get a cost for putting a single charging point in for their Tesla, to today getting daily calls and emails from HR and facilities managers, as well as other directors, requesting costs for significant charge point installations at their workplace for employees and fleet vehicles – in some cases running into the hundreds of charging points.”
David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster, finished: “The idea that charging infrastructure is not keeping pace with the growing market of EVs is false – there is already existing capacity in the network, and we will continue to ensure that drivers have an expansive and reliable public charging network.”


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It’s hard for past attendees to agree on what’s the best part of the annual Women in Business conference, put on by the Butte College Small Business Development Center.
Some like the speakers best. Some like networking and sharing stories. Others see it as an opportunity to bounce ideas off other businesswomen.
And some just like it all. Last year, more than 170 women attended.
This year’s Women in Business conference is all day Sept. 26 at the Chico Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Ave. Registration starts at 8 a.m.
Every year, the center pulls together a host of speakers who’ve been “checked out” for the quality of their presentations and ideas. Organizers want this conference, which has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration, to be of utmost use to women, says center executive director Sophie Konuwa.
After a presentation to the whole group, the speakers separate into break-out sessions for specialized discussions in their areas of expertise.
Speakers this year include:
Mary Cantando of Raleigh, N.C., author, columnist and consultant whose latest book is “The Woman’s Advantage: 20 Women Entrepreneurs Show You What It Takes to Grow Your Business.” Her topic is “The Woman’s Advantage.”
Carolyn Carver of Chico, a former banker-turned-speaker who says success is not who you know or where you work, but how to manage yourself. Her topic is “Marketing Confidence.”
Dan Ripke is the executive director of the Center for Economic Development at Chico State University, and an expert in north-state demographics and trends. His topic is “Market Analysis: Your Key to Finding Customers.”
Jan Deuber of Kailua, Hawaii, is president of Direct Selling Women Alliance and has dedicated herself to helping women find success and fulfillment through direct sales. Her topic is “Your Accelerated Marketing Plan — A Simple Approach to Creating Your Plan of Action.”
Besides the speakers, the day includes the Marketplace to showcase women-owned businesses and their products, a continental breakfast, catered lunch and afternoon refreshments.
Tickets are $125. To register, contact the center, 895-9017. Tickets will be at the door as well.
Business Editor Laura Urseny can be reached at 896-7756 or firstname.lastname@example.org.


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After hearing testimony from fellow witnesses on how jammed supply chains and exorbitant shipping charges are hammering their businesses, World Shipping Council President and CEO John Butler was asked how some of his ocean carrier members can justify their best financial quarter in decades.
“The price situation right now is entirely unfamiliar to us,” Butler acknowledged during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Tuesday. “For the last 20 years, the ocean shipping business has been lucky to make its cost of capital. And what we’re facing today is completely unprecedented.”
However, as Butler has asserted all during the supply chain crisis, the disruptions are purely the result of supply and demand in the market. In addition, much of the “headline” rates — the container rates many times what they were a year ago that grab the headlines — are in the spot market. Pricing under long-term service contracts between the ocean carriers and their customers has not gone up nearly as much as rates obtained today to move a container next week, he said.
“The other piece with respect to pricing, the ocean carriers operating ships are not the only actors in the market,” Butler testified. “There are far more middlemen — non-vessel-operating common carriers — they buy space from our members then resell it. So that part of the market has also driven some of these price increases.”
The hearing was held as the Senate readied companion legislation to the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which now has 80 co-sponsors in the House. The bill, which expands the power of the Federal Maritime Commission, imposes minimum service standards on carriers and prohibits carriers from imposing “unreasonable” demurrage and detention fees, among other things.
The Senate version, John Thune, R-S.D., one of its sponsors, said during the hearing, “takes significant steps to clarify the authority of the FMC in resolving disputes and curbing anticompetitive behavior. I believe these changes will increase the accessibility of the FMC to smaller shippers, and supply the agency with clearer authority to intervene when unreasonable practices related to the movement of cargo are discovered.”
Butler, whose members represent 90% of the world’s container ship capacity, pushed back on the reforms, arguing they are part of a mixed message from policymakers and the Biden administration.
“On the one hand, the administration is pressing us to get our customers to come to the ports and pick up their cargo so that we can get it out of the way and move additional cargo,” he said. “At the same time, we have a House bill, and an expected Senate bill, that would restrict the ability to use detention and demurrage incentives to get that job done.”
In addition, Butler said, provisions in both bills essentially require vessels to load all export containers before being allowed to load empties. However, “it doesn’t work that way. We have to keep both moving. And if we get too restrictive about how we operate our networks, then it’s going to make it worse for everybody.”
A ‘transparent’ solution
Shortly after the hearing on Capitol Hill, the FMC held a meeting kicking off its Maritime Data Infrastructure initiative, which aims to identify data constraints that impede ocean cargo flows.
John Porcari, the port envoy to the Biden administration’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, told meeting attendees that while airlines compete fiercely, they also provide data that’s available on a daily basis and “that’s actionable and usable” to improve service.
“On the maritime side of goods movement, there’s not a long tradition of sharing data, and that’s one of the things we need to get through. Our intention is to jointly, with FMC and others’ input, build a series of data requirements. We want to harmonize that data so it’s usable in a common format nationally, and ultimately internationally.”
Asked about data transparency during the hearing on Capitol Hill, Butler said there’s an impression that “nobody is talking to anyone, and that’s not true. Having said that, the cargo volumes keep going up, the challenges get more and more complex, so we have to improve our communications and information sharing to match that.”
The caveat, he said, is if the government were to take too much control of data-sharing oversight.
“There may be some role in encouraging the exchange of information, but if you’re asking if there should be a federal system to handle that, I think from our industry standpoint we would prefer to keep that in-house.”
Watch: Nimesh Modi on the Ocean Shipping Reform Act
- Exporters ratchet pressure on Biden to take on shipping challenges
- US regulators balk at billion-dollar takeover of Ports America
- Amazon, Walmart to advise Washington on ocean freight policy


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Joanna George and TenCate Geosynthetics Americas Win Coveted Honor
Demand Management, Inc., a leading global resource for cloud-based digital supply chain management solutions, announced today that two of its customers—Joanna George, Director of Demand Planning at Siemens Healthineers, and the TenCate Geosynthetics Americas team—have been named Pros to Know by Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine.
This award recognizes outstanding executives whose accomplishments offer a roadmap for other leaders looking to leverage supply chain for competitive advantage. This year’s list includes individuals and teams from software and service providers, consultancies and academia, trucking and transportation firms, professional development agencies, sourcing and procurement divisions, and more, all who have helped supply chain clients and the supply chain community at large prepare to meet many of today’s—and tomorrow’s—challenges.
The full list of 2021 Pros to Know award winners is available online at www.SDCExec.com.
Throughout 2020, Joanna worked to ensure that Siemens Healthineers was ready to respond to the demand variability brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. She was also instrumental in helping Siemens navigate an upgrade of its warehouse distribution software right as the pandemic was spreading throughout North America.
TenCate’s strong performance in 2020—and its ability to tackle the challenges of 2021—stems from the company’s decision to implement Demand Solutions in 2018. Today, TenCate’s logistics, manufacturing, and commercial teams work together in a true S&OP process.
“We are delighted to see two of our customers named Pros to Know,” said Bill Harrison, president of Demand Management, Inc. “It took significant know-how and incredible determination to thrive in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains everywhere. Our customers’ inclusion in the list is a testament to their innovation and perseverance. We look forward to continuing to partner with Joanna George and the TenCate Geosynthetics Americas team as they explore ways to thrive in 2021 and beyond.”


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What you need to know
- Apple is warning developers who are trying to skirt the new privacy rules coming in iOS 14.
- The company is threatening to take apps off the App Store unless they comply with the new rules.
Apple is getting ahead of of developers who are trying to find ways to skirt the company's upcoming privacy protections that are set to release this spring for iOS 14.
As reported by The Financial Times (via MacRumors), a report suggested that the state-backed China Advertising Association was working on a way to avoid Apple's new requirements that required apps to get express permission before tracking them.
According to the report, the developers are attempting to use a tool called CAID to get around the requirements. The tool, which was developed by the China Advertising Association, is being tested by some of China's biggest technology companies like Baidu, ByteDance, and Tencent.
While the China Advertising Association says that users can opt out of CAID, Apple will apparently not allow the tool to be used in apps at all.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.


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Part of a “mega-week” event, the auctioneer beat its previous week record of 815, and achieved a combined sales value of £4.6m.
The event saw 1,100 vehicles from the Marshall Motor Group go through Manheim’s auction lanes.
Jon Head, commercial director at Marshall Motor Group, said: “We hold mega-week events twice a year at Manheim as part of our stock disposal strategy, and there’s always a real feeling of anticipation in the run up to the events.
“We’re delighted to have broken our record for the number of vehicles sold in a week, a great achievement given the market conditions.”
Marshall Motors (LON:MMH) The Group’s principal activities are the sale and repair of new and used vehicles. The Group’s businesses have a total of 106 franchises covering 23 brands, operating from 84 locations across 27 counties in England. In addition, the Group operates five trade parts specialists, three used car centres, five standalone body shops and one pre delivery inspection centre.


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Demonstrating its expertise and innovation in action, Eco Flexibles has received a Bronze Award recognition at The Grocer Product & Packaging Awards 2023.
Its Fusions packaging project, developed with fruit and nut snack brand Whitworths, was shortlisted under the Sustainable Pack of the Year – Optimisation category and received a Bronze Award at the event, held on 7thNovember at the Royal Lancaster, Hyde Park, London.
To create a visually impactful, fully recyclable and high-barrier polyolefin monopolymer pack, Eco Flexibles worked hand-in-hand with Whitworths, guiding the project from concept to completion. The design features consumer-friendly easy-open and re-close functions, and its inverted stabilo format with an extended fin seal ensures maximum shelf impact.
This latest achievement follows recognition at the UK Packaging Awards and Kantar’s Product of the Year Awards 2023.
Simon Buswell, Director at Eco Flexibles, expressed his delight, stating, “We are delighted to receive a Bronze Award at The Grocer Product & Packaging Awards 2023, for our project alongside the fantastic Whitworths team. For our business, it’s less about adding more trophies to the cabinet and more about showing the wider snack, food and FMCG sectors what’s possible in today’s packaging world.
“Today, brands don’t need to choose between quality and recyclability when it comes to flexible packaging; no compromise needs to be made. By developing monopolymers that actually enhance the quality and performance of packaging over non-recyclable mixed plastics, we’re making waves in the packaging field, and will continue to grow and evolve our capabilities accordingly.”
To learn more about Eco Flexibles and its innovative flexible packaging solutions, visit www.ecoflexibles.com.


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Home fragrance and skincare brand NEOM Organics has recently appointed a head of customer marketing, a head of brand and an interim communications & influencer partnerships manager. It is also recruiting for several other marketing roles, suggesting it is aiming to uplift its marketing spend ahead of the Christmas gift-buying period. NEOM uses all natural, organic ingredients in its products and uses aromatherapy blends designed to boost customers’ wellbeing. It is aiming to be climate positive and zero waste by 2025.
The business was listed 65th on The Sunday Times list of fast-growing companies after demonstrating annual sales growth of 56.16% over three years. In 2021, sales stood at £42m, of which 80% were made online. NEOM is pushing forward with its international expansion, especially in the US and China, whilst also aiming to deepen its market share in the UK.
NEOM had a successful Christmas trading period in 2021 and will no doubt be looking to achieve even better results this year. Its total group revenue over the 2021 Christmas period increased by 35% year on year to £6.9m.


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congatec’s showcase at this year’s electronica focuses on the fusion of embedded computing and embedded vision technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning, to present holistic Embedded Vision platforms. The goal is to provide OEM customers with a comprehensive ecosystem that integrates as easily and efficiently as a standard USB device. Customers benefit from application-ready components with unified APIs, GPGPU, and AI compatibility, minimizing design effort and ensuring that new applications get into production more quickly.
“We see tremendous demand for a fusion of embedded computing and embedded vision technologies, including AI and deep learning, as the embedded vision market is forecast to grow at staggering rates; 140 percent growth is predicted for the autonomous robotic vehicle segment, for example. To establish and maintain a decisive innovative and competitive edge in this market, OEMs have to work extremely fast and efficiently. For this, they need a strong partner to help them implement camera, AI, and deep learning technologies, because ultimately it’s the embedded computing device that merges heterogeneous technology implementations and is the linchpin of the embedded vision market. This is why we are currently investing heavily in the delivery of application-ready embedded vision components to provide customers with high design security and shorter time-to-market,” says Christian Eder, Director of Marketing at congatec.
Presenting three application-ready solutions for a variety of different embedded vision use cases, congatec aims to give OEMs a 360-degree view of embedded computer vision technologies. The solutions underscore congatec’s extensive embedded vision expertise, which is further enhanced by the company’s support of the new NXP i.MX 8 processor technology on SMARC 2.0 and Qseven modules.
Automotive infotainment platform
Co-developed by Intel and Luxoft, the Automotive Reference Platform (ARP), which launches with the conga-SA5 as the first officially supported module, makes digital cockpit designs for next-generation vehicles smarter. The new platform enables clustering of previously separately managed functions such as head unit display, cockpit occupant monitoring and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Artificial intelligence with intensive GPGPU usage
In cooperation with AMD, congatec is showing a vision based AI platform that impresses with seamless integration of GPGPU technologies. It features the new AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 processors, which provide outstanding GPGPU and overall performance, and leverage the open source Smart Vision ecosystem. The platform was developed on the basis of widely used tools and frameworks such as TensorFlow, Caffe and Keras, and also utilizes the open source ROCm platform for GPGPU applications.
Basler camera technology for face recognition
The smart embedded image recognition platform that emerged from the new technology partnership between congatec and Basler focuses on face detection and is based on Basler’s dart camera series with USB 3.0 and conga-PA5 Pico-ITX boards with 5th generation Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium processors.


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Final thirty days ca governor gavin newsom issued an executive purchase directing the state to finish the sale of brand new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. some electric vehicle (ev) lovers hailed it as another strong step up the fight against weather modification, nonetheless it begs issue of how radically the globes fleet of vehicles changes throughout the next 15 years.
For the moment, the fossil-fuelled internal combustion motor stays with us once the primary method of traveler transport.
While evs still get us market share, they accounted for just 1.5 percent of all newly subscribed automobiles in the 1st 1 / 2 of 2020, in accordance with analysis through the data firm ihs markit. in fact, fuel-guzzling sports utility automobiles (suvs) that are classified as light vehicles with four-wheel drive and an increasing clearance for off-road driving are available at a faster video than evs. in 2018, suvs captured 46 per cent of this united states marketplace for new cars. meanwhile, customer need shows little sign of abating, partially considering a slump in forecourt petrol rates since 2014.
Internal-combustion engines will, it appears, be around the near future. therefore, principles around their particular emissions and gasoline economic climate are crucial. and regulators recognise this. following the 1973 opec oil embargo, the united states national highway traffic protection management introduced the corporate average gasoline economy (cafe) requirements, which seek to improve the energy performance for the us fleet. through municipal penalties and a credit system, cafe requirements make it more expensive for automakers to create vehicles with poor gas economy. within the last ten years specifically, these regulations are becoming an essential tool for lowering emissions.
Across the atlantic, the eu has had an alternative approach. in response on oil shocks, many europe raised taxes geared towards lowering fuel consumption, therefore beginning an ill-fated love affair with diesel-powered cars. tax and duty now take into account the bulk of consumer prices for petrol and diesel in europe, in stark contrast to the united states, making fuel economy a central element in the cost of vehicle ownership and employ. eu plan in addition has dedicated to reducing the average weight of vehicles to boost gas effectiveness, whereas us standards count partly regarding the automobiles footprint the area enclosed by its four tyres. weighed against passenger cars, it's generated less onerous demands for the overall gas economic climate of weightier passenger cars in the us, including suvs.
Despite these styles, gasoline economic climate has grown by 30 %, or 5.8 mpg, since 2004, due mainly to innovations in engine design. for-instance, a report from the united states ecological cover agency (epa) indicates that, in 2008, fuel direct shot (gdi) technology ended up being used in fewer than 3 % of all vehicles. by 2019, that figure had been predicted to meet or exceed 50 percent. in the place of port treatments, where gasoline is sprayed into the intake system, gdi involves spraying gas straight into the combustion chamber, increasing the compression ratio and improving gas economic climate.
The use of motor technologies varies among manufacturers. two leading us automakers, general motors and fiat chrysler, are on the list of couple of having added cylinder deactivation abilities to conserve gas whenever less energy will become necessary when you look at the motor. ford also joins gm and fca in offering stop/start systems that shut down the motor whenever car is idle specifically useful in urban areas in which discover more traffic.
At 58 mpg, the hyundai ioniq blue, a crossbreed car combining electric battery and combustion energy, has become the fuel-efficient car regarding us market, excluding evs.
Michael evanoff, a senior supervisor of item planning for hyundai, states the organization has actually accomplished large increases in gasoline economy by presenting smart adjustable transmission (ivt), that allows its automobiles to work better by keeping the motor within its optimal power range.
Generally, business people tend to be hoping that further hybridisation will relieve the transition to all-electric automobiles. honda, the most energy-efficient automaker in america with an aggregated gasoline economic climate of 30 mpg, is wanting to enhance the use of electrified powertrains, says dave gardner, executive vice-president of national functions. like many automakers, honda can also be trying to electrify the majority of its product line-up by 2030.
But wise regulation is critical to guaranteeing fuel economic climate gains are satisfied, state experts. studies have unearthed that customers regularly undervalue fuel economic climate when buying a vehicle, and can pay less for fuel cost savings than what they stand to get.
Automakers dont possess correct incentives to provide more efficient cars and thus, individuals are losing from these savings, explains prof josh linn from university of maryland.
This year, the trump administration revised cafe to mandate yearly gas economy gains of 1.5 percent until 2025, in place of a suggested 5 % annual gain suggested by this time under obama-era guidelines. this rolling back of regulations has happened before. from belated 1980s until 2004, cafe standards flatlined at around 27.5 mpg for passenger cars and 20 mpg for light trucks. through that period, we observed just how brand-new cars had been becoming more and more effective and enhancing their particular acceleration times, but there was clearly a decrease in gas economic climate, claims benjamin leard, other for transport policy at think-tank resources for future years.
It is not clear just how these laws will alter underneath the after that us management. nevertheless, inside the campaign the white home, joe biden pledged not only to reverse president trumps fuel economic climate policy, but going additional and quicker.
One big area for enhancement is vehicle evaluating and tracking, where divergence between real-world and official data is stark. even though discrepancies are nowhere near as wide as those reported into the eu before new test processes had been created responding to the 2015 dieselgate scandal, the epa usually assumes that laboratory examinations understate gasoline consumption by 20 percent. breakthroughs in car pc software can change that.
The technology currently is out there, states prof linn. its just a matter-of gathering information from an odometer, computing the gasoline economy, and storing that information...but we need to find out a suitable regulatory framework that handles customers privacy problems.


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PR pros on a quest toward communications supremacy would do well to check out some of these hidden gems from the AP Style Guide.
As you prepare to distribute yet another email marketing campaign, you might ask: Does humor belong in this message? Roughly 60 percent of consumers said humor is perfectly or slightly acceptable in an email message, according to a recent survey of 1,200 consumers conducted by Fractl and BuzzStream.
The golden age of data journalism is creating huge opportunities for PR teams that can convince senior managers and their clients to share salient stats that help quantify a trend and set the brand apart. But how?
B2B companies often get a bad rap for not taking full advantage of their data to create compelling content. But while they may not be as far as along as their consumer counterparts in how …
St. Baldrick’s PR agency, FleishmanHillard, successfully secured an innovative live segment on NBC’s “TODAY” show, earning millions of impressions and raising significant funds for childhood cancer research.
The UN Foundation’s partnership program for media engagement offers tips that can serve as a model for nonprofit groups looking to share their story with a wider audience.
For most PR pros preventing leaks is just part of managing an M&A process. Communicators also are responsible for convincing stakeholders that the merger will bring added value to the company and, if the deal is rejected (read: Comcast-Time Warner Cable), where the companies goes from there.
Have you ever tried publicizing a new restaurant in a food-crazy city? In late 2014, Good Stuff Eatery approached Chicago-based PR agency Henson Consulting (HC) to tout the opening of its newest location in Chicago and maximize media opportunities for celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn and his family.
Communicating crucial details with the public is a primary concern when a tragedy strikes. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has proven a largely effective crisis communicator.
Bud Light apparently was trying to be anything but boring with a new marketing message on some of its beer bottles—and got burned in the process.


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WAN-Hive Ghana through its Obaasima Business Challenge initiative has awarded four of its female winners with Business equipment and free advisory services to start, grow and sustain their business Innovations. […]
WAN-Hive Ghana, a female-focused Innovation space in Sunyani hosts the second edition of its Startup Summit on August 31.
WAN-Hive Ghana to Strengthen the AgriTech Sector in Ghana through Women Inclusion
WAN-Hive Ghana is a social impact hub for sustainable mentorship and education of young women and girls to build careers in technology, leadership, entrepreneurship, and social development. To promote girls’ […]
WAN-Hive Ghana Launches Women in Agribusiness Support Program in the Bono Region
WAN-Hive Ghana, a female-focused Innovation space in Sunyani launches the Women in Agribusiness Program (WAP) on March 19, 2022, purposely to build momentum towards developing the female agribusiness potential in […]
Young Ladies at WAN-Hive Ghana develops Mobile Applications to solve societal problems in Sunyani.
WAN-Hive Ghana, a female-focused Innovation space in Sunyani hosts its maiden Startup Summit on January 14, 2022, under the theme “Mobile Applications for Sustainable Business Development and Job Creation in […]
Wan Hive Obaasima Challenge set to come off February 2022
Women entrepreneurship can bring a lot of diversity to the business world. As women gain more power and influence in the world of business, a big improvement of Innovation and […]
Wan-Hive Ghana set to give many business opportunities to sunyani ladies today.
Baobab Entrepreneur interview with Chambers Market
Baobab Entrepreneur interview with Chambers Market | Ghana’s Biggest Local Directory & online Marketplace Chambers Market is a unique e-commerce and e-business platform developed by the Sekondi-Takoradi Chamber of commerce […]
WAN-Hive signed a new partnership deal with Baobab Entrepreneur on November 25
WAN-Hive has signed a new partnership deal with Baobab Entrepreneur today. The just signed Partnership deal aims to focus and support entrepreneurs in the ecosystem in Ghana and internationally. In […]


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JCB and TECHFUND Associate for Blockchain Payment System Ideas
Japan-based credit card and payment firm JCB has declared collaboration with tech startup accelerator TECHFUND to examine the idea of a payment system with blockchain options; the company stated on Friday (May 15).
It is recently unknown whether the plan will concentrate on the public blockchain or if the idea will just utilize the accelerator to access entrepreneurs.
TECHFUND isn’t novel to the blockchain sphere, having examined assisting entrepreneurs with service token offerings in the past. And the startup has a “blockchain-as-a-service” platform that enables companies to obtain their own solutions with Ethereum, List, NEO, and NEM.
JCB, one of the biggest credit card operators in Japan, has also operated with blockchain before associating with U.S.-based Paystand for a B2B payment system.
The bank is now also operating with Singapore-based Keychain on a project designed to promote security for next-generation payment systems by utilizing enterprise blockchain. That initiative, declared last December, uses the “Keychain Core” central offering and operates with the Internet of Things devices and other tablets, phones, and computers.
Keychain Core was rolled out last September, earlier than expected, as reports recommended that sort of technology wouldn’t be available for another few years.
JCB reported revenues of $2.8 billion in the fiscal year 2018. The company’s cards can be utilized in 23 countries. The company was established in 1961 as Japan Credit Bureau and altered its name to JCB in 1978.
Utilizing blockchain in combination with credit cards isn’t a new idea. Visa has done it with Visa B2B Connect, leveraging blockchain, and Mastercard has rolled out various initiatives adopting blockchain in some way. American Express applies blockchain for its rewards program.
JPMorgan Chase lately declared a new product, “Coin and Cleaning Networks,” concentrating on new age cash management and payments services.


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UberEATs Finally Launch in India
UberEATS finally launches in India starting Food delivery services with Mumbai
On-Demand Taxi Service Provider Uber on Tuesday launched a UberEATS Service in Mumbai India for competing with rival services offered by Foodpanda, Zomato, Twiggy. For This Services Food Price is set by Restaurant Partners according to their menu list and there’s a delivery fee of 15INR. Inclusive all taxes. There is no minimum order size. In starting of this service instantly in Mumbai company said plans to the end of this year reach a six metro city in India. In short, Mumbai is the high tally for a start as any, being that it’s one of India’s business hub and a city with an estimated community people 20 million.
This New Uber Service Launch, Which was First Procedures at January 2014, Takes the services in 78 Cites includes Amsterdam, Brussels, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Johannesburg, Lyon, Stockholm, Singapore , Taipei, Tokyo, Milan, Vienna, Paris, Vienna, and multiple cities in the US, Canada, Australia and Mexico. Across 26 Countries Worldwide. Eats First go ahead with a Los Angeles in 2014, Originally it’s core Uber app buts it’s a later it available to operate independently. It’s come to Asia For launch a service in Singapore back in March of 2016, and across the region it also available in Bangkok, Thailand, Japan, Tokyo.
UberEats is enough competition across Mumbai, food delivery business has competed for last some years. Last Month, Even Google dared this space with its service for delivering food or home service Areo . At Ola, Uber’s On-demand Cab Service Rival in India, also dilly-dally in food, but its services were closed down last year after less than one year of operations. Uber is not sawed to much about how to plans to hook its rivals. In other cities. It’s center point in this time to create the list of the restaurant like other service providers like ubereats achieve as possible as high market volume for focused area. And its, not any debut to use his lean of a ride – sharing service business.
UberEATs has tow sides of the app just like UBER. The customer can able to discover food items as per choice. The Customer app has specific features like curation, schedule delivery, online payment, etc. It’s a good option to build an app of this food delivery service for your individual food delivery business. And grow with the on-demand economy world. Think to create your UberEATs app: UberEATs Like App


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There are genuine photographs of blue and yellow tulips created by a Dutch florist. However, these flowers weren't grown or bred in these colors. They were dyed blue and yellow to honor Ukraine.
In April 2022, a photograph was widely circulated on social media that supposedly showed a new breed of tulip called "Tulipa Ukraine" that was bred in honor of the country's struggle against Russian aggression.
While this is a genuine photo of blue and yellow tulips that were created in honor of Ukraine, many social media posts incorrectly claimed that these flowers had been "grown" in this fashion, and that "Tulipa Ukraine" was a new breed of flower. But that's not the case. The tulips shown above were dyed these colors after they were grown.
The above-displayed photo was first shared to social media by TulipsinHolland.com. When social media users asked where they could purchase seeds to grow their own Tulipa Ukraine flowers, the website explained that they had been dyed blue and yellow:
The "Tulipa Ukraine" flowers shown above were created by Hoven & de Mooij BV, a flower shop in the Netherlands. This Dutch florist has created a few other versions of blue and yellow flowers in honor of Ukraine.
While the "Tulipa Ukraine" may bear the colors of the Ukrainian flag, this isn't the only flower that has been used to honor Ukraine since the Russian invasion. The sunflower, Ukraine's national flower, is now a symbol of resistance. The Washington Post reported:
The sunflower has long held a meaningful place in the hearts of many Ukrainians as the national flower. But since Russia invaded their country last week, the plant has become a global symbol of resistance, unity and hope.
In recent days, people around the world have been adding bright yellow sunflower emoji to their social media profiles and wearing sunflowers in their hair and on their clothing. Some are planting seeds so more sunflowers can grow.
In a video that recently went viral, a Ukrainian woman was heard telling armed Russian soldiers on Ukrainian soil, “Take these seeds so sunflowers grow here when you die,” BBC News reported.


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List of Contents
Source: The post is based on the article “Our J&K find could put India on the lithium map” published in the Livemint on 13th February 2023.
Syllabus: GS 1 – Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent).
Relevance: About Lithium reserves.
News: Recently, the Geological Survey of India has for the first time discovered Lithium reserves in the Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir(UT).
About the Lithium reserves around the globe
According to the US Geological Survey, the world has 98 million tonnes of Lithium reserves. Of that, half of it is in South America’s ‘lithium triangle’ of Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Apart from that, the US, Australia and China also have some Lithium reserves.
The recent Lithium discovery in Jammu & Kashmir is about 5.9 million tonnes which is about 5.5% of the world’s total Lithium reserves.
What is Lithium?
|Read here: Facts about Lithium|
What are the applications of Lithium?
|Read here: Uses of Lithium|
What is the importance of Lithium reserves in India?
|Read here: Geological Survey of India Finds Lithium and Gold Deposits|
Reduce Chinese dominance: China dominates the lithium supply chain. China has agreements with South American suppliers, and it is refining about two-thirds of the world’s lithium cell assembly.
What is the importance of Lithium reserves?
Reducing global warming: The aim of carbon neutrality has begun to set economic terms amid global trade wars and outright de-globalization.
Ability to pack energy: Lithium’s lightness and ability to pack in energy make it a good pick for vehicles and devices that run on rechargeable batteries since lithium ions can store and release electricity without adding much body weight.
Hence, according to McKinsey report, annual demand for lithium could reach 3-4 million tonnes by 2030 (about five times the usage estimate of 2022).
The discovery of reserves in India relieves us of a key import dependency and helps to electrify Indian traffic faster.
|Read More: Lithium Reserves in India: Strategic Significance and Concerns – Explained, pointwise|


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Lifestyle And Fashion
Walmart has uncovered a new elevated and inclusive intimates and sleepwear brand Joyspun, as the company looks to grow and evolve its fashion category.
Joyspun will replace the previous billion-dollar private intimates and sleepwear line of Walmart, Secret Treasure. Secret Treasure captures the largest customer base in the US across the women’s intimates and sleepwear market, according to the retailer. NPD Group’s Checkout Analytics said that in the US, one in five buyers consumers has shopped the brand in the 12 months ending January 2022.
Walmart stated that the intimate category is undergoing a “significant transformation.” It is shifting to an era of body positivity, inclusivity, and styles that prioritize confidence and comfort. It added that the intimate category had to evolve into a modern and fresh offering.
Denise Incandela, executive vice president of private brands and apparel at Walmart US, explained in a blog post that the new brand is launched with more than 300 styles of sleepwear, knickers, hosiery, socks, bras, and maternity. It features buttery soft fabrics, modern style, and fresh silhouettes without the premium price tag. To ensure that the DNA of the brand embodies positivity and inclusivity Walmart launched Joyspun with 18 size options for “a flattering, feel-good fit”.


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Dr. John Molina is accustomed to fighting to get health coverage for poor Hispanics who come to his Guadalupe clinic. But the state Board of Pharmacy’s threat to take him to court for telling patients about Canadian pharmacy bargains took him by surprise.
Molina recently came under the board’s scrutiny after he offered office space to a Scottsdale-based company that brokers prescriptions through Canada.
“I just felt we were doing something for people that the government has failed to do,” Molina said. “I deal with so many uninsured patients. I thought this would be a great way for them to get low-cost prescriptions from Canada.”
The state pharmacy board thought otherwise, notifying Molina soon after the Prescription Drugs Canada office opened last month that he was violating state law prohibiting anyone but a pharmacy or a pharmacist from advertising or selling drugs.
It’s the latest action in the board’s campaign to discourage consumers from buying drugs from Canadian and other foreign pharmacies. In February, the board sent letters to several prescription-brokering companies threatening them with legal action if they didn’t close down.
“Anyone who does it knows it’s illegal. It’s against the law, period,” said Hal Wand, executive director of the state board.
Molina, however, said the board is going too far, interfering with his ability to practice medicine and do what is best for his patients. And though he doesn’t believe he’s breaking the law, Molina hopes the matter winds up in court so the issues can be clarified.
Wand said consumers risk their health and safety unless they buy from licensed U.S. pharmacies. Reimportation of drugs without U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval also violates federal law, he said.
The federal government has largely ignored the practice, however, as Internet companies and local brokers spring up around the country, saving consumers as much as 75 percent over American pharmacy prices.
Both the U.S. House and Senate approved drug reimportation bills last month as part of sweeping Medicare legislation. A conference committee, which includes Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., will meet in September to work on a compromise.
Companies such as Prescription Drugs Canada can’t be regulated by state pharmacy or federal drug laws because they don’t handle prescriptions or drugs, said co-founder Joel Korsunsky. The company has locations in Scottsdale and Sun City, as well as the bilingual office in Guadalupe, which draws patients from Ahwatukee Foothills.
“Let’s not threaten people and scare them,” said Korsunsky, who said he has facilitated the shipment of 35,000 prescriptions to 8,500 customers since January 2002. “We’re not talking about Third World countries. We’re talking about Canada.”
Although there have been no local complaints about Canadian pharmacies, Wand acknowledged, customers can’t be sure their prescriptions are being filled in Canada since there is no U.S. oversight.
That hasn’t stopped millions of patients, mostly senior citizens, from buying their prescriptions through foreign pharmacies. In the East Valley, consumers are hearing about Canadian druggists through presentations at mobile home parks and trade shows, from their doctors and at local senior centers.
The Mesa Senior Center has designated a staff member to help people get free or reduced prescriptions, whether it’s with one-time vouchers, through drug company programs for low-income patients, or through Canadian pharmacies.
Eleen and Larry Carr of Mesa heard about Korsunsky’s company from their doctor at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale. The couple were paying $4,000 a year at Walgreens for six different prescriptions, and now pay less than $2,000 a year for the same medication, Larry Carr said.
“I don’t understand what the big deal is about,” he said. “Except that there are some powerful pharmaceutical companies in America that really do not want this to happen. They’re in it for the money.”
The seven-member pharmacy board includes five pharmacists, but Wand said its motivation is consumer safety not market protection. Complaints against Molina, Korsunsky and other mail-order prescription companies have been turned over to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
Montgomery Lee, chief counsel for the office’s licensing and enforcement division, said attorneys are working with the pharmacy board on possible administrative or civil actions. Criminal and consumer fraud laws also could apply.
Molina said many of his patients go without their prescriptions because they can’t afford them, or try to make them last longer by taking lower dosages. Roughly 40 percent of his patients are diabetics.
“I think it’s unethical that we as doctors find it so easy to give a prescription and not worry if our patient is going to fill it,” he said. “Otherwise, it’s just a lost cause.”


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WASHINGTON - Orders placed with U.S. factories increased in February, boosted by a pickup in demand for motor vehicles and commercial aircraft.
The 3 percent gain in bookings, the biggest in five months, followed a revised 1 percent decline in January, a Commerce Department report showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 64 economists in a Bloomberg survey called for a 2.9 percent rise. The advance was led by a 5.6 percent surge in demand for durable goods that was little changed from the 5.7 percent estimate issued last week.
Auto sales that are on pace for the best year since 2007 and gains in home construction are helping drive sales and orders at manufacturers such as 3M Co. and H.B. Fuller Co. More corporate investment and inventory rebuilding are also keeping assembly lines busy, contributing to economic growth as businesses look beyond federal budget cuts.
“Business spending will have another good year,” said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist for IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts. “There’s demand here in the U.S., and some return of export growth.”
Stocks held earlier gains after the report. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.6 percent to 1,571.33 at 10:04 a.m. in New York.
Estimates in the Bloomberg survey ranged from gains of 0.8 percent to 4.5 percent. The Commerce Department revised the January figure from a previously reported drop of 2 percent.
A report yesterday signaled factories took a breather in March to assess the impact of the automatic federal government spending cuts, or sequestration, which took effect at the start of the month.
The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index fell to 51.3 in March from an almost two-year high of 54.2 in February, the Tempe, Arizona-based group reported yesterday. A reading of 50 is the dividing line between growth and contraction.
“There is concern that sequestration will weigh on some sectors,” Josh Dennerlein, an economist at Bank of America Corp. in New York, said before the report. Over the longer term, “autos and housing are really kicking in. That feeds into the rest of the economy.”
Today’s report showed factory orders excluding transportation equipment climbed 0.3 percent after a 2 percent increase the prior month.
Bookings for durable goods, those meant to least at least three years, make up just over half of total factory demand. In addition to planes and autos, demand improved for primary metals and electrical equipment including appliances.
Demand for commercial aircraft, which is often volatile, jumped 95.1 percent in February after dropping 23.8 percent a month earlier. Boeing Co., the Chicago-based aerospace company, said it received orders for 179 aircraft in February, up from two in January.
Orders for non-durable goods including petroleum, issued for the first time today, increased 0.8 percent. These bookings often reflect changes in commodity prices as the figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.
Bookings for capital goods excluding aircraft and military equipment, a measure of future business investment, fell 3.2 percent after increasing 6.7 percent the prior month, the biggest gain since March 2010. They were initially estimated to have dropped 2.7 percent in February, according to data issued last week.